Adaptation planners help communities prepare for climate change impacts. For instance, in some areas, they write new zoning and building codes to protect communities against sea-level rise. In other areas, they help prepare for drought, wildfire, and extreme weather disasters, such as hurricanes or blizzards. But despite these important activities, as a profession, adaptation planning is still in its infancy.

Coffee: “Most of the real scions in the climate adaptation space started their careers doing something very, very different and now have evolved into focusing on how we can save lives and improve livelihoods in the face of this incredible global shift.”

That’s Joyce Coffee, board member of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals – ASAP for short.

Coffee: “The society was really formed to pull together all of the incredible professionals that are working to prevent the avoidable and manage the unpreventable in the new era of climate change.”

She says ASAP provides both information and support.

Coffee: “And now we even have the really remarkable opportunity – as the next generation of leaders come forward – to help mentor them in climate adaptation and also learn from them about new ways to approach this seemingly intractable problem.”

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media.

More Resources
American Society of Adaptation Professionals
ASAP Prize for Progress Snapshots
Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (Disproportionate Risk Infographic)